Carl Pickens Madden Career 1993-2000 - Peak 95 OVR

Carl Pickens was born March 23, 1970 in Murphy, North Carolina, played at Tennessee, where he was a first-team All-American in 1991, and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of 1992, 31st overall. He caught 26 passes and returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown as a rookie, and was named Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year. Madden NFL 94 graded his 1993 season at a calculated 43.

He caught 71 passes for 1,127 yards in 1994, a season Madden NFL 95 put at a calculated 95. In 1995 he caught 99 passes for 1,234 yards and 17 touchdowns, tying Cris Carter for the NFL lead, and in 1996 he caught 100 for 1,180 yards. He made the Pro Bowl and Associated Press second-team All-Pro in both seasons, and Madden NFL 97 rated him 92 for 1996.

The Bengals later wrote a clause into his contract that forfeited bonus money if he publicly criticized the organization; an arbitrator upheld it in January 2001, and it became known as the Carl Pickens clause. He signed with Tennessee for 2000 and caught 10 passes for 242 yards, with Madden NFL 2001 listing him at 87. He signed with Dallas in April 2001 and retired the following month without playing a game there. Pickens finished with 540 receptions for 7,129 yards and 63 touchdowns in 129 games.